Simeon Glides By Robeson

The Wolverines slashed their way through Robeson 73-58 in the Division I final at Whitney Young High School, and although coach Bob Hambric complained about a lack of intensity, he still could take pride in his team`s ability to do the difficult easily.

Simeon`s defense kept forcing the Raiders (10-4) into numerous turnovers and sparked an 11-point surge at the start of the second quarter that gave Simeon a 33-14 lead and virtually clinched the victory.

``We only played about three different defenses in the game,`` said Hambric. ``But we like to play them from all angles on the court. It looks as if we`re doing a lot of different things out there, but we`re not.``

Guard Allen Gordon led the Wolverines with 16 points and three other teammate were in double figures. Nelison ``Nick`` Anderson, who scored eight points, wasn`t but was still named the meet`s MVP.

``But we`re not one-dimensional players,`` insisted Hambric. ``Anderson had a poor couple of games in the tournament, but he can do a lot of other things. We can all pass, run and catch the ball well, and we also take care of the ball when we have it.``

Yet the coach was disturbed because the Wolverines just played even with Robeson the second half, always ahead by 15 to 20 points at any given period in the last two quarters.

``We don`t have that intensity, and part of the reason is that we`ve played only three games in the last two weeks,`` said Hambric. ``And we won`t play again until next Thursday (in a Red-South opener against Hyde Park).``

In that first-half effort, Simeon had a stretch in which it scored 9 of 11 baskets on crisp passes. The other two field goals were off steals.

Robeson`s coach Robert Collins has now lost twice to Simeon, both in the title game of tournaments, and he, too, saw the difference in the turnovers.

``You can do a lot playing Simeon, but you can`t stay with them when you make turnovers,`` he said. ``We must have had 20 in the game and you can`t win that way.``

Andre Tate, who along with teammate Darnell Thomas, also was on the all-tournament team, led Robeson with 19 points. Others on the honor squad were Ervin Small of Simeon and William Allen of Hirsch.

In the girls` compeition, Whitney Young (9-1) stopped top-ranked Marshall 58-50 for the Division I title behind Most Valuable Player Audra Haymer (21 points) and Kristen Haynes (13). Sheryl Porter had 16 for Marshall (7-1). It hasn`t won a Mayor`s title in the last three years after a record six straight.

St. Ignatius (9-3) outlasted Tilden 51-47 in the Division II title game with most valuable player Anne Gallagher scoring 28 points and Jenny Wozniak 15. Kim Smith had 21 and Debra Martin 18 for Tilden.